I've always had my eye on the lemon loaf cake in the Starbucks bakery case. It just seems like one of those perfect pairings for a cup of joe. I'm so excited to share this really good lemon loaf cake recipe with you! It's bursting with lemon flavor and it has the most irresistible texture.
What's in this really good lemon loaf cake?
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Greek yogurt
- Oil- any neutral oil will do
- Lemon extract of fresh meyer lemon juice- NOT regular lemon juice!
- Zest of 1 lemon- this can be a regular lemon...unless you have a meyer lemon on hand, then use that!
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Powdered sugar
- Milk or a non-dairy substitute
How to:
Mix together the eggs, sugar, and yogurt until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add in the oil, lemon juice or extract, and lemon zest. Mix to combine.
Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt until there are no more lumps.
Pour cake batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes until the top is golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
To make the icing, whisk the powdered sugar, milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice together. The icing should be thick and not drippy. Add the additional ½ tablespoon of lemon juice as needed.
Substitutes for really good lemon loaf cake:
This is an important one! You'll notice it's a dairy cake, and yes that yogurt really contributes to the texture. Here's where I convince you to really try the Dairy version. Keep reading for what to substitute with if you'd like to make this cake Pareve, it's still delicious!
GREEK YOGURT: My real secret ingredient in this cake is Greek yogurt. It's creaminess keeps it moist and the tartness imparts a real crave-able flavor! May be substituted for a non-dairy yogurt such as So Delicious unsweetened vanilla. OR non-dairy sour cream.
MILK: I highly recommend unsweetened original almond milk for all your dairy substitution needs. I find it to be the most versatile!
Lemon extract vs Meyer lemon juice
I prefer meyer lemon juice, but you can usually only find them in the middle of the winter on the East Coast. If you can't find them, substitute for a good quality extract in a pinch.
What are meyer lemons?
They are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. That gives them different characteristics and flavor then a regular lemon. They have a darker skin that's more on the orange side, and they are smaller and rounder than regular lemons.
The big difference is the TASTE! Meyer lemons are much sweeter. They do not have the same tang as a regular lemon.
Really good lemon loaf cake
Equipment
- Loaf pan
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 5.3 oz containers plain greek yogurt (or 300 grams/1.2 cups)
- ½ cup` oil
- ¼ cup Meyer lemon juice or 1 ½ tablespoon extract
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Icing:
- 1 cup` powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 -1 ½ tablespoon Meyer lemon juice or ½ teaspoon extract
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Mix together the eggs, sugar, and yogurt until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add in the oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix to combine.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt until there are no more lumps.
- Pour cake batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes until the top is golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Icing:
- Whisk the powdered sugar, milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice together. The icing should be thick and not drippy. Add the additional ½ tablespoon of lemon juice as needed.
Love loaf cakes? Check out these other favorites:
Based on 12 Review(s)
Trina and Tina
Incredible!
tomatoestomahtos
Thank you!